What makes us healthy?
Building blocks of health
Health is like a structure built from key building blocks. Each block represents a vital element: food, exercise, sleep, mental well-being, and environment. Together, these blocks form a strong foundation. When balanced and maintained, they support health, providing stability and helps us fight illness.
The food we eat
Work
Family, friends and communities
Transport
Our surroundings
Housing
Money and resources
Education and skills
Getting good health care is really important, but it’s not enough on its own. We can’t expect just health care groups to fix all the problems with health differences between people. It will take everyone working together – like charities, businesses, stores, schools, and churches—to help. To fix this problem across the whole country, we all need to work together and care about everyone’s health, not just wait for someone else to fix it.
Socioeconomic factors = 40%
Education
Job status
Family/Social support
Income
Community safety
Surroundings = 10%
Physical environment
50%
(socioeconomic factors and surroundings) can be traced back to your postcode!
Physical behaviours = 30%
Tobacco use
Diet and exercise
Alcohol use
Sexual activity
Health care = 20%
Access to care
Quality of care
include those moments in a healthcare environment!
Right now, in too many of our communities, the building blocks that shape our health like good education, good jobs, a good income and quality housing are missing…
Life expectancy at birth
Life expectancy isn’t the same across the UK. In some areas of Liverpool people are dying earlier than they should.
School readiness (age 4-5 years)
Children’s readiness for school isn’t the same across the UK. In some areas of Liverpool children don’t have skills to feel comfortable in a school environment.
Not in education, training, employment (age 18-24)
Lots of young people in Liverpool aren’t focused on learning and that can make it harder for them to get jobs or learn important skills for the future.
In absolute poverty
Many families in Liverpool do not have enough money or resources to meet their most basic needs, like food, clean water, shelter, and clothing.
Children in workless households
In Liverpool too many families live in homes where no one is working which can impact their physical and mental health.
In fuel poverty
This doesn’t have to be ‘the way things are’. It’s time for us to fix the gaps.